Terminalia latifolia Sw.

  • Authority

    Stace, C. A. & Alwan, A.-R A. 2010. Combretaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 107: 1-369. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Combretaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Terminalia latifolia Sw.

  • Type

    Type. Jamaica. 1784-1786, Swartz s.n. (lectotype, S, here designated; isolectotypes, BM, S).

  • Synonyms

    Myrobalanus latifolia Kuntze

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree to 30 m. Leaves 10-25 × 6-14 cm, chartaceous, obovate to oblanceolate, rounded to shortly and broadly acuminate at apex, tapered to narrowly cuneate base, pubescent at first, becoming glabrous; domatia always present, in secondary and lower-order veinaxils. Venation as in T. catappa. Petiole 1.8-4 cm, pubescent, usually eglandular. Inflorescences to 13.5 cm, simple, andromonoecious, with the bisexual flowers few and near base; peduncle 2.5-3.5 cm, pubescent; rhachis 6-10 cm, pubescent to tomentose. Flowers pentamerous, 2.5-4 × 2.5-4 mm (male) or 4-7 × 2.5-4 mm (bisexual); lower hypanthium 2.5-4.5 mm in bisexual flowers, densely appressed-pubescent; upper hypanthium 1-1.5 mm, cupuliform to campanulate, puberulous; calyx lobes 0.5-1 mm, erect to patent or slightly recurved when at full anthesis, nearly glabrous; disk villous; stamens 2-2.5 mm; style 1-2.5 mm, glabrous. Fruits few near base of rhachis, 3-4.5 × 1.5-2.5 cm, drupaceous and succulent, ovoid to ellipsoid, slightly compressed, rounded to broadly cuneate at base or with pseudostipe to 3 mm, very shortly to moderately beaked at apex, glabrous, often with 2 strong lateral ridges but these sometimes obscure. Reproductive biology. Flowers pale yellow; flowering February to May; fruiting April to September (Adams, 1972).

  • Discussion

    Illustrations. Figs. 73d (If), 74b (fr). Fisher & Hibbs (1982), pp. 695 & 697 (habit).

    Terminalia latifolia is an enigmatic plant, possibly confined to Jamaica, where it was first collected in 1784-1786 by Swartz as a wild plant before T. catappa was known to be naturalized. There are many later collections, but it is still not certain whether this is a native species or a derivative of early introductions of the closely related T. catappa. It is distinct from T. catappa possibly only in the shape of the leaf-base, but most measurements of inflorescences, flowers, and fruits are smaller than in T. catappa and the petioles are longer and without glands. Fisher and Hibbs (1982) observed that it has identical tiered growth and branching patterns to those of T. catappa. Despite their similarity, T. latifolia is extremely widely disjunct from the native area of T. catappa (SE Asia). Similar plants with cuneate (T. paraensis) or subcordate (T. subcordata) leaf-bases are known from South America, and Tomas 317 from Guatemala is another example (the last was seen by Eichler who referred it with reservation to T. catappa). The specimen (Stahlé 140, n.v.) of supposed T. latifolia from Guadaloupe (Bornstein, 1989) is a similar plant. If found in Jamaica these would no doubt be named T. latifolia. Because of the uncertainty, a conservative treatment has been adopted; the extra-Jamaican plants have been placed under T. catappa in the traditional way, although their placing under T. latifolia or the placing of T. latifolia under T. catappa might be equally logical.

  • Common Names

    Broadleaf

  • Distribution

    Endemic to Jamaica; “Locally common in relict woodland in gullies and depressions especially in the western parishes; (50-) 1000-2300 feet” (Adams, 1972) Two specimens were in fact collected at Om altitude.

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